She Was An Afterthought
Stevie Nicks was just an added afterthought to the legendary band Fleetwood Mac. When she finally found her way in, she became the one thing that most fans associated with the band. It wasn’t just her unique boho look, but also her stunning voice and powerful songwriting abilities. But Nicks paid dearly for her gift as a lyricist, as she had to live through a chaotic existence in order to find the words that would ignite a generation of music lovers.
Arturo Holmes/MG26/Getty Images for The Met Museum
1. She Couldn’t Say It
Stevie Nicks was born Stephanie Lynn Nicks on May 26, 1948, in Phoenix, Arizona, to Jess and Barbara Nicks. When she was a small child, she had difficulty saying her first name. All she could get out was "tee-dee", so from then on, her family started calling her “Stevie”.
There was something special about little Stevie Nicks.
David Wainwright, Wikimedia Commons
2. She Lived In Her Own World
When she turned 16, Nicks got a very important present. It was a Goya guitar. With that guitar, she wrote her first song, which she called "I've Loved, and I've Lost, and I'm Sad but Not Blue". Nicks later said that she lived in her "own little musical world". Nicks was going to have to come out of her little bubble if she wanted to be a music star.
Unknown authorUnknown author, Wikimedia Commons
3. She Joined In The Harmony
While still in high school, Nicks joined a band called the Changing Times. Then, while in her senior year, she heard a guy singing “California Dreamin’”. She couldn't help herself; she joined in on the harmony. That guy was Lindsey Buckingham, and soon she was playing in Buckingham's band, Fritz.
This was not some high school band. This was the real thing.
History's most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily.
4. She Played With Some Icons
Buckingham’s band, Fritz, had an important gig: they were the opening act for Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. Nicks was literally playing on the same stage as musicians who were likely her idols. She later said that they were the inspiration for her performing style and stage intensity.
But Nicks still did not believe music would shape her future.
Hannu Lindroos / Lehtikuva, Wikimedia Commons
5. She Had A Different Career In Mind
For some reason, both Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham decided to quit music and go to university. Nicks chose speech communication as a major, but it soon became clear that this was not for her. In the early 1970s, Nicks made the difficult decision to quit school. The plan was for her and Buckingham, who was now her boyfriend, to try to make it in the music business.
They’d need more than a little luck.
Klaus Hiltscher, Wikimedia Commons
6. It Was Just The Two Of Them
By this time, Fritz no longer existed, so Nicks and Buckingham tried to find fame as a duo. Buckingham had a one-inch, four-track Ampex tape machine, and they made demo tapes on it. After sending out the tapes, they got a bite. Polydor Records wanted to sign them on. They recorded an album called Buckingham Nicks.
It seemed that this fame thing was easier than Stevie Nicks expected.
7. It Didn’t Go Their Way
As it turned out, making it big in music was not that easy. Buckingham Nicks failed to find an audience. The album made no money, and that did not sit well with Polydor Records. The record company dropped Nicks and Buckingham. They had no contract and no money. It was time to start looking for a real job.
Matt Becker, Wikimedia Commons
8. They Didn’t Have Any Money
Not only were they broke, but Nicks suddenly found herself playing the role of nurse, as Buckingham had come down with mononucleosis. This was a hard time for both of them. Nicks made money as a server and then even offered to clean the house of producer Keith Olsen. Olsen had kindly let the two of them live in his house.
Nicks could not have felt any lower. One phone call changed all that.
Larry Richman, Wikimedia Commons
9. They Didn’t Want Her
When they were at their lowest, Buckingham got a call from British musician Mick Fleetwood, who had a band called Fleetwood Mac. As it turned out, Fleetwood was looking for a guitarist to join his band, and he’d heard a track from Buckingham Nicks. But there was one big problem: Fleetwood wanted Buckingham but not Nicks. Buckingham gallantly refused the offer.
It looked like Nicks would be back waiting tables and cleaning houses.
W.W.Thaler - H. Weber, Hildesheim, Wikimedia Commons
History's most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily.
10. She Joined Up
Mick Fleetwood hesitated on accepting Stevie Nicks as part of the deal. His singer, Christine McVie, was already handling the female vocals. What did he need with another female vocalist? But Fleetwood wanted Buckingham and reluctantly agreed to take Nicks on as well.
He didn’t know it yet, but Nicks would soon be the most recognizable part of Fleetwood Mac.
Warner Bros. Records, Wikimedia Commons
11. She Changed Them
Once Nicks started rehearsing with Fleetwood Mac, one thing became clear: the harmonies that Nicks brought to the band were changing the sound. She also brought something else to the band; she was a gifted songwriter. Fleetwood Mac accepted Nicks’ song "Landslide" onto their album. This song would become such a huge hit that it had three million airplays.
And she brought another hit song with her.
12. She Proved Her Worth
Stevie Nicks had written “Rhiannon” while Lindsey Buckingham had briefly been on tour with the Everly Brothers. This ended up on the album Fleetwood Mac and would eventually find its way onto Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Suddenly, Fleetwood was realizing that Nicks was more than just Buckingham's plus one.
But there was more that Nicks brought to the table.
13. She Crafted An Image
Besides writing great songs, Nicks wanted to make a big splash on stage. To make this happen, she called up clothing designer Margi Kent. Nicks’ requirement was simple: she wanted Kent to create a completely unique look for her onstage appearance. Kent came up with a look that some called “bohemian”. It was all about flowing skirts, shawls, and high platform boots.
Nicks had her look, and she was ready to become a star.
Khiltscher, Wikimedia Commons, enhanced
14. She Faced A Hard Realization
Nicks was likely on top of the world. Her first album with Fleetwood Mac had reached the top of the Billboard 200. More importantly, two of her contributions stood out on the album. Yet, as they got ready to record their next album, Nicks had to face up to something that she’d known for a long time. Her song "Landslide" had predicted it.
She had to end it with Buckingham.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
15. They Fought In The Studio
The thing was, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham were fighting throughout the creation of Rumors. It didn’t help matters that both had drug habits that fuelled their anger. One positive thing was that their anger found its way into their next album as added intensity. As the two ended their relationship, they both turned to writing to deal with their sorrow.
History's most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily.
16. They Competed
For the next album, Rumors, Nicks wrote “Silver Springs”, a song that spoke about her troubled relationship with Buckingham. As it turned out, Buckingham also had a song about their relationship. He called it “Go Your Own Way.” When the label rejected Nicks’ song and accepted his, the situation turned into a bizarre songwriting competition.
But these songs would eventually end up together.
Eva Rinaldi, Wikimedia Commons
17. They Were Back-To-Back
When Fleetwood Mac released Buckingham's “Go Your Own Way” as a single, they decided to give Nicks a break and put "Silver Springs" on the B-side. Fans who bought the single probably had no idea that both sides of the record were the result of a very emotional breakup. Years later, this record became a collector’s item.
But making Rumors was going to be hard on Nicks.
Screenshot from Go Your Own Way, Warner Music Group (1976)
18. She Lived In Chaos
While making their hit album Rumors, Christine McVie later said that Stevie Nicks suffered fluctuating moods, oscillating between charm and anger. Her health was in decline, and her precious gift, her voice, was also suffering. But there was another source of health problems for Nicks.
19. She Had A Virus
The Epstein-Barr virus caused some of Nicks’ health issues. Symptoms include tiredness and throat inflammation, both of which made performing almost impossible. This virus is usually spread by skin-to-skin contact. Nicks blames the chest implants she got back in 1976.
But somehow, Nicks turned this chaos into music. It was time to see if this music would appeal to fans.
20. She Reached Number One
In spite of Nicks’ health issues, Rumors was a hugely successful album. Many countries listed it as the number one album, and it received one of the top honors at that year's Grammys, receiving the award for Album of the Year. One of Nicks’ contributions, “Dreams”, was the only single to hit the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
Nicks and the rest of Fleetwood Mac were huge music stars. And Nicks was also newly single.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
21. She Soared With An Eagle
Stevie Nicks had been romantically involved with Lindsey Buckingham since she was a teenager. Now she had the opportunity to see what else was out there. As it turned out, she had a type. Her first post-Buckingham relationship was with Eagles member Don Henley. They called their romantic duet “Leather and Lace”.
Henley was more of a rebound relationship, but her next one would be a scandal.
History's most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily.
22. It Was Awkward
In 1977, Fleetwood Mac was in the midst of their incredibly successful Rumors Tour. It likely was a little awkward for Nicks having her recent ex, Buckingham, around all the time. Things soon became even more awkward. When the band was in New Zealand, something completely unexpected happened: Nicks ended up in the arms of bandmate Mick Fleetwood.
This affair had the potential to ruin lives.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
23. She Dated The Wrong Guy
When Nicks and Fleetwood started their affair, they kept it a secret, and it was for a good reason. While Nicks was single, Fleetwood definitely was not. Fleetwood had a wife and two kids, and everyone in the band thought the world of them. Nicks was going through an internal conflict. She couldn't imagine breaking up this lovely family.
Robert Knight Archive, Getty Images
24. They Were Angry
It wasn’t long before all of Fleetwood Mac knew about the affair between Nicks and Fleetwood. They reacted in anger because they all loved Fleetwood’s wife, Jenny Boyd. Nicks saw the light. She knew that if she pursued her feelings for Fleetwood, it could lead to the end of the band. She ended it as abruptly as it had started.
But this story has a surprising coda.
25. She Did the Right Thing
Nicks had done the right thing, and ended it with Fleetwood for Fleetwood’s wife and for the future of the band. But just a year later, Fleetwood ended his marriage to Boyd. Nicks likely felt spurned. And then Fleetwood did something that made Nicks feel even worse: he began a relationship with Nicks’ friend Sara Recor, even though she was married to someone else.
Well, at least this drama gave Nicks something to write about.
Evening Standard, Getty Images
26. She Wrote Too Much
The thing about Fleetwood Mac was that there was no shortage of songwriters. Stevie Nicks had to compete with Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie to get songs on their albums. When they started to work on their next album, Tusk, the always-working Nicks had a huge backlog of songs. There was no way she was getting them all on the album.
Nicks came up with the perfect solution.
Screenshot from Sara, Warner Music Group (1979)
27. She Went Her Own Way
While she was working on Tusk with Fleetwood Mac, Nicks was also working on a solo project. She continued to work on it during the Tusk tour. The result of this work was Bella Donna, Nicks’ first solo recording. It soared to the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart. This led Rolling Stone to give her a new name: she was "the Reigning Queen of Rock and Roll".
Sadly, this queen was about to face a tragedy.
History's most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily.
28. She Received Some Bad News
Nicks was barely able to enjoy the success of Bella Donna. The same day that it got the number one spot, she got some terrible news: her best friend Robin Anderson had received a leukemia diagnosis from her doctor. Making the news even worse was the fact that Anderson was pregnant at the time, and Nicks was supposed to be the godmother.
This tragedy would start a shocking chain of events.
Screenshot from Stop Draggin' My Heart Around, Warner Music Group (1981)
29. She Had To Step In
Nicks’ friend Anderson had just three months to live. But she did have enough time to have her baby. Anderson had a son, and now Nicks’ job as godmother had taken on a much more crucial role. When her friend passed, Nicks got a crazy idea: she offered to marry her best friend’s widow.
The strange thing was, he accepted.
Screenshot from Dreams, Warner Music Group (1977)
30. It Looked Like A Betrayal
Stevie Nicks had an explanation for her shocking behaviour. She admitted that they hadn't married for love. She had suggested the marriage so she could properly care for Anderson’s son. They got a divorce just three months later. This was Nicks’ only marriage.
It seemed that many of Nicks’ friendships were struggling.
31. Her Friendships Suffered
Around this same time, Nicks’ friendships were in trouble. It seemed that few people could handle her intensity. Lindsey Buckingham flatly refused to even listen to her solo album. Tom Petty and producer Jimmy Levine were both friendship casualties. And when Sheryl Crow emerged as a new singer/songwriter, Nicks could only view her as competition.
Nicks had to keep working hard to stay on top of rising stars like Crow.
Ирина Лепнёва, Wikimedia Commons
32. Her Solo Career Soared
Nicks’ second solo album, The Wild Heart, went double platinum, so she saw no reason not to have a third. Rock a Little was also a huge success. In 1986, she began a tour which included Bob Dylan and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Before she started the tour, she made a trip to the doctor's office.
The news he had for her was stunning.
33. She Used Too Much
It was no secret that members of Fleetwood Mac were snorting a lot of their earnings up their noses. For Nicks, this had been a habit for many years. Now, her doctor said that she had to stop using. If she didn’t, there would be “severe health problems”. He even suggested that one more hit could end her life.
Stevie Nicks needed help, so she turned to the best.
Screenshot from Stand Back, Warner Music Group (1983)
History's most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily.
34. She Reached Out For Help
Nicks somehow made it through her tour and promptly entered the Betty Ford Clinic to end her addiction. It was a difficult time, and she said that at one point she had wanted to follow her musical icons, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix, into oblivion. But she overcame these thoughts. It took her 30 days to kick the habit.
But then a psychiatrist came along and made things worse.
Grossman Glotzer Management Corporation, Wikimedia Commons
35. She Replaced Her Vice
Nicks visited a psychiatrist because she was afraid of a relapse. This doctor prescribed her Klonopin to keep her addiction at bay. There was one problem, though: this drug was equally addictive. At this same time, Fleetwood Mac was expecting Nicks to contribute to their new album, Tango in the Night. She also had to tour for her solo album.
Nicks was heading into a dangerous time.
Ralph Arvesen, Wikimedia Commons
36. Their Arguments Were Legendary
While on tour for Rock a Little, Nicks was sending in her contributions to Fleetwood Mac’s Tango in the Night. And then, when she was finally face-to-face with the band, there was an altercation. She and Buckingham had huge and sometimes loud disagreements. Eventually, Buckingham walked away from the band right before their world tour.
Nicks’ stress level was through the roof.
37. She Couldn’t Handle It
Because of Buckingham’s departure, the rest of Fleetwood Mac began their Shake the Cage tour with two replacements. But Nicks could not handle the demands of the tour. The medication the doctor had prescribed, Klonopin, had become its own addiction. She then suffered from myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue. Eventually, they had to cancel the tour.
But her problems were not over yet.
Weatherman90 at English Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons
38. She Had No Memory Of It
Stevie Nicks did eventually resume and finish the tour with Fleetwood Mac. But there was no time for rest. She soon began work on her fourth solo album. She worked with British producer Rupert Hine, and the two soon became romantically involved. When she started touring for this album, her addiction to Klonopin became worse. She later said that she had “no memory of this tour”.
Next, a presidential hopeful would need her help.
39. They Helped A President
In 1992, Bill Clinton was running for president, and he thought Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop” summed up his feelings perfectly. Nicks joined up with the other members of Fleetwood Mac to perform at Clinton's 1993 inaugural gala. But what people noticed wasn’t that she was back on stage with her ex, Buckingham. No, instead, they heartlessly criticized her for her weight gain.
Nicks couldn’t help but take it personally.
Bob McNeely, The White House[1], Wikimedia Commons
History's most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily.
40. She Had A Mission
The media attention to Nicks’ weight gain devastated her. She felt disgusted by it, but she couldn't help but see it as a call to action. She made a promise to herself: she would not go on stage ever again—or at least not until she slimmed down. Nicks was hugely embarrassed by her weight gain, but she also had a theory about the cause.
Featureflash Photo Agency, Shutterstock
41. She Realized She Needed Help
Nicks was pretty sure the cause of her weight gain was Klonopin. And then, when she fell over and injured herself at a baby shower, she knew that that was Klonopin, too. She then made the difficult decision to go through a 47-day detoxification process. This was not going to be easy.
But she had to beat this. Her career depended on it.
42. Her Career Suffered
Stevie Nicks painfully, but successfully, got herself off of Klonopin, but there were repercussions. Her fifth solo album, Street Angel, did not do well. It only managed to hit the number 45 spot on the Billboard Top 200. Nicks blamed the fact that she was in rehab during the production phase and could not participate fully.
Nicks could not stomach any kind of failure. She had to fix this.
Screenshot from Rooms On Fire, Warner Music Group (1989)
43. She Got It Back
After a brief but successful reunion with Fleetwood Mac in 1996, Nicks got her solo career back in order. Trouble in Shangri-La was a commercial success, and the single "Planets of the Universe" received a Grammy nomination. Around the same time, People magazine called her one of the 50 Most Beautiful People. It seemed that Stevie Nicks had gotten her life around.
But then an old demon resurfaced.
Kristian Dowling, Getty Images
44. She Tried Again
In 2001, Nicks again tried a Fleetwood Mac reunion. They recorded Say You Will and went on tour. Sadly, things with Buckingham were still not right. They often disagreed and fought over the production of the album. It also didn't help that McVie was AWOL and not there to support her. Nicks had very little left to give to Fleetwood Mac.
And then the band gave her an easy way out.
45. She Walked Away
Remember, Nicks’ song “Silver Springs” did not appear on a Fleetwood Mac album, but when Nicks asked for permission to release the song herself, Mick Fleetwood said no. This was the last straw. Nicks wanted nothing to do with Fleetwood Mac. It was the end of an era.
But stories emerged that suggested that life with Fleetwood Mac had been more of a nightmare.
Raphael Pour-Hashemi, Wikimedia Commons
History's most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily.
46. She Soaked Up Attention
Years after the incredible success of Fleetwood Mac, stories began to emerge. Christine McVie talked about how her and Nicks’ friendship did not survive the success of Rumors. McVie said that Nicks was always trying to soak up all the attention, and it caused the two women to be in a silent feud.
And of course, there was her tumultuous relationship with Buckingham.
47. It Was A 50-Year-Old Fight
In 2018, Stevie Nicks had her ex-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham fired from Fleetwood Mac. You read that right: 2018. The public fighting between Nicks and Buckingham has gone on for almost 50 years. Nicks told The New York Times that it would probably take until she was 90 years old for her to “figure that relationship out”.
But Nicks would eventually find peace with another sort of family.
48. She’s Found A Family
When her mother passed in 2011, Nicks took it hard and stayed in her house for almost five months. But then she became a mother of sorts. Remember, Nicks had a godson/stepson with her best friend’s husband. When she reunited with the young man, she paid his way through college. Since then, Nicks has happily become "Grandma Stevie" to his daughter.
Nicks also has legions of musicians who may feel like her daughters.
49. She’s An Inspiration
As troubled as Nicks’ life was, many of today’s performers credit her as an inspiration. This long list includes Beyoncé, Courtney Love, The Chicks (formerly known as Dixie Chicks), and Belinda Carlisle. She also has a surprising connection to rapper Eminem. His mother, Debbie Nelson, said that her son was a huge fan of Nicks’ song "Rhiannon".
Nicks has also been an inspiration to pop music’s number one star.
Manfred Werner - Tsui, Wikimedia Commons
50. It Was Icon Meets Icon
Another star to call Nicks an inspiration is Taylor Swift. In 2010, Swift got a chance to appear with her idol on stage at the Grammy Awards. Swift’s introduction was humble. She simply said, "It's a fairy tale and an honor to share the stage with Stevie Nicks." In 2024, Swift paid homage to Nicks in her song “Clara Bow”, singing: "You look like Stevie Nicks, in '75, the hair and lips". Nicks returned the favor with a poem for the album’s liner notes.
You May Also Like:
Headstrong Facts About Linda Ronstadt, The Musical Survivor
Bubble Gum Facts About Debbie Gibson, A Pop Music Survivor
